I was talking with a friend today who mentioned that she was having a hard time finding the right small-ish gift for her butch gf, and so I threw out some ideas. I thought I would share here a few last minute sure-to-win items. (Most of these are under $30, with a few splurge items for those with the means.)

1. The Skinny Tie: versatile. Casual or formal, goes well with most button-downs. I suggest black, red, or other solid colors paired with a patterned shirt. Catch it while it’s still in style. Or, while you’re still in a Brat Pack film, whichever ends first. 🙂

There’s a darker post coming, based on where my head and identity have been these past few days. To take my mind off things, however, I’ve taken to trolling the webs to collect some style ideas that make me pine, which I will showcase here.

Two things – as I’ve battled with weight and gender presentation, I’ve learned that 1) I don’t do well with cheap clothes. I spent years purchasing mens shirts and ties from places like Ross and Marshalls, and while you can sometimes find amazing stuff there, I’m such a specific size and build that usually it doesn’t fit me well enough to be worth it. I’d rather spend a little more on some good quality clothes that will last, and well made items can withstand a little tailoring if I choose to make them fit better. Which I usually do. And 2) trousers and pants are too difficult to buy online. There’s just no way of knowing how they’ll sit on your hips, so I’m sticking with shirts, outerwear, and accessories for this list.

I’ve been coveting a lot of Calvin Klein lately – I discovered their slim-fit cuts tend to work with my now-slimmer body better than most. In particular:

textured henley hoodie

For the weekends, or when you need an extra layer under a blazer and the college sweatshirt won’t cut it. Alternatively:

wool blend hoodie sweater

I love this one, particularly how long it is – when you’re almost 6′, you need some torso length. It might look weird with a bigger chest, though.

Same for these shirts:

graphic roll-up shirt

mini-houndstooth shirt

I always roll my sleeves up, unless I’m wearing the shirt under another layer. I find especially if I have a shirt that doesn’t quite fit my shoulders, rolling the sleeves up a bit gives a better impression of fit. I also love the dark buttons on the second one, and while usually I avoid shirts with pockets because of the bosom, with this kind of casual shirt I make an exception. Read the rest of this entry »